One of my long term goals is to become a midwife. I've felt a calling ever since I read spiritual midwifery when I was a pregnant teenager. I lived in England at the time & there were no direct entry midwifery courses. You had to do nursing first, which put me off bigtime. then there was also the issue of women losing babies. I was not sure how I would handle that. Now 17 years on down the track I'm in New zealand, I found out you can do direct entry midwifery here & I have lost 2 of my own babies so I have faced it myself. I want to wait until Saffron is a bit older since she is only 13 months now.

I have so many questions in my mind. Anyone out there studying midwifery or wanting to study midwifery ? How do you find it with your kids ? How do they cope with you possibly disappearing in the middle of the night for an unknown amount of time ?

I feel that most of it can be learned through self-study. I am a doula, and have completed everything necessary to become a Bradley instructor EXCEPT for attend the actual seminar, which I've put off for two years because its so expensive! LOL But the doula'ing, along with reading every single book about labor and birth I can get my hands on, has allowed me to build up a wide range of knowledge regarding the normal processes of labor and birth. Also, my midwife recently started a midwifery study group. We meet every other week for three or four hours and she kind of "teaches" us the basics of midwifery, such as what to do in the event of certain complications, how to handle breech births, how to do prenatal care, that sort of thing. I have a two year old DD and #2 is due in May, so if you're busy with children, as I am, it may be a good idea to self-study and join different "birth groups" in your area. Or start your own! That way, you can gain knowledge at your own pace, suited to your lifestyle. Here in the US, you can take a gigantic exam through either MANA or NARM and, if passed, can become a certified professional midwife. I'm not sure if they have it where you live; but I think that's the route I'll go, when I have enough knowledge and have apprenticed at many births.

I've been self studying for quite a while now. Not just about midwifery, but women's health issues in general. Where we are you really need to go thru the medical establishment to get certified. I think you can become a lay midwife, but they're always in court & being hounded by the docs, so I have been told that it is easier to go the "proper" route. I'll ask around about any midwifery study groups. I'm going to see my acupuncturist tomorrow & her granny was a homebirth midwife ( one of auckland's first ) so she will know. I'll maybe ask about starting one too. I know one girl who has just started studying herself so that could be a good start. Good suggestion

btw we don't have doulas here. Or if we do, no one has ever told me about them. I found out about them by reading birthing from within.

Hi-
I am a student midwife and a mother too. I have just completed a the academic portion of a three year direct entry midwifery college in Portland, OR. I have my apprenticeship almost half way done- and I'm still plugging along! I began pursuing midwifery almost 5 years ago. I was really racing along in school and attending births until I had my baby almost 2 years ago! Balancing midwifery and motherhood is a challenge. I am gradually starting to attend births again. I miss attending birthing women, but when I'm at births, I miss my kids! I think it is easier to do when your children are older... or at least get the classes (if you plan on going to a school) done then do your apprenticeship later on. It's so hard to do all at once. There are a few different routes to becoming a midwife, depending on where you live. I'm happy to answer any questions I can...

Nimamom Im in B.C. canada. I would also like to go the direct entry route as well. How did you start? Did you talk to local midwives, etc.? What pre requisites did you need to enter the midwivery program? What books do you recomend? I have read the heart and hands one-wish I had read it before i had my daughter. I found it explained everything much clearer than the traditional birth books. Ive got more questions I'll post when I get more time. Thank you

I don't know tons about Canada- but a classmate of mine who is almost ready to graduate is from BC, and planning on moving back up there when she's done. There are different pre-reqs depending on different programs. The general one that I think applies to all programs is that you must have taken Anatomy and Physiology. Aside from that, some programs have additional science requirements, and others don't!

I had been a doula for a few years before I began school for midwifery. I knew a few midwives in town, and I did talk to them about my options. I felt that I wanted to pursue direct entry midwifery, just because it's what I believe in. To become a CPM (Certified Professional Midwife) there are 2 routes- you can either attend a 3 year MEAC (Midwifery Education Accredidation Council) school, finish your apprenticeship, then take the NARM exam (National Association of Registered Midwives). Then you apply for licensure if available or desired in your respective state. You can also become a CPM without attending a 3 year program, but you the documentation you provide when applying to take the NARM exam must be very extensive, and you also have to take an additional skills exam to get your certification as well.

It's a long road! But it's a wonderful journey! I'm happy to answer any more questions I can.

Well, Heart and Hands is great, of course! My recommendations:
1) 'Becoming a Midwife' by Carolyn Steiger (out of print and hard to find, but SUCH a great book)
2)'Holistic Midwifery' by Anne Frye
3) 'A Book for Midwives" by Susan Klein
4) 'Varney's Midwifery'
5) 'The Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year' by Susan Weed
6) Suscribe to Midwifery Today and the Birth Gazette!
7) Spiritual Midwifery- by Ina May Gaskin
8) Birthing From Within- Pam England
9) The Baby Book- William Sears
10) The Breastfeeding Answer Book- La Leche League
11) Sisters on a Journey
12) Hearts Open Wide- Wellish and Root

I could go on and on... but I just mentioned my overall midwifery bibles, and a few of my favorite herbals, breastfeeding, and baby books--- Anne Frye also has a great book 'Understanding Diagnostic Testing in the Childbearing Year.' And she's due to come out with an Intrapartum book sometime this year.
#11 and #12 are more stories of women choosing/becoming midwives themselves, and not text books! Spiritual Midwifery is that way too.